User blog:Daburu/Dengeki G's Magazine Short Stories
This Technique's Name Is... (July 2016, Yukari) "Let's think of a name for our finisher!" Yukari said merrily to Salt Humanoid 236, but Salt's response was cold. "...Why?" As an android, Salt couldn't fathom the concept of a finishing move having a designated name. Yukari explained with some difficulty. "Umm, it's because that makes it easier to get in the spirit! Like... when you're using a finishing move and shouting out, doesn't saying 'Let's do this!' get you in the spirit?" "What... is 'spirit'?" Now forced to explain "spirit", Yukari tried to describe it in roundabout terms for Salt. "...I understand. If you want to do it, Yukari, then I will think." Finally their brainstorming session began. "Electric Current Sword" was too stiff. "Thunder Attack" was too cliched. "Special Salt" just sounded like a tasty condiment. There was nothing especially good in the stream of ideas, so at last Yukari and Salt sank into silence. "Don't think that hard about it!" Chloe cut in, unable to hold back. "Y'know, how a finisher looks is important! You've got to go with the feel and just force a name on it!" "Then Chloe, what would you name it?" inquired Salt. Chloe beamed and puffed up with pride. "How about Electric Flash Sword? Cool, right?" Upon hearing Chloe's input, Yukari became joyful. "I'll take that!" She took out her notebook and wrote down a memo. Then the alarm signalling a Foreigner attack rang out. Yukari was ordered to sortie, and suddenly had the chance to show her new finished! Yukari jumped out in front of the Foreigner and swung her electric current sword. "Straight from Miss Chloe! Energetic Finish Sword!" --That was the name, right? Sei and Tanabata (August 2016, Mana) "Hey, let's go see the Milky Way on Tanabata next week!" Sei invited Mana with a bright smile. "OK..." Mana nodded instinctively. But soon enough, something weighed on her mind. Mana had never once seen the Milky Way on the night of Tanabata. Tanabata was always during the rainy season, and every year the sky was clouded over. Sei wouldn't know that, having just come from Disfia. She checked the weather forecast, but the forecast for the next week was "cloudy" after all. Mana thought to tell Sei, but she was never able to. Whenever she saw Sei looking forward to it, Mana couldn't help but feel awkward. Sei had memories of wishing upon the stars once during the year she spent with her childhood friend when she was young. They had gazed at the Disfia sky and written their wishes on slips of paper. Wanting to do the same thing with Mana, Sei handed her a handmade paper slip with an innocent smile. "Think of a wish until Tanabata." From then until Tanabata, Mana checked the weather forecast whenever she could. But the forecast didn't change to clear. The night of Tanabata. The sky was covered in thick clouds. Not even the moon could be seen, let alone the Milky Way. I don't want to see Sei let down, dejectedly thought Mana as she headed to a small hill just outside of town. THey had promised to see the Milky Way there. When she got to the hill, she could see one small person from behind. Sei was already waiting. Mana timidly peered at Sei's face. Sei's eyes were gleaming, and she was smiling. "It's so pretty!" What had caught Sei's interest was Naien's dazzling nightscape. Seeing the nighttime cityscape for the first time made Sei think of the Milky Way. Mana was relieved by Sei's apparent satisfaction and looked at the slip of paper in her hands. I wish to see the Milky Way with Sei -- that was what was written on the paper. When Tamaki changes into a swimsuit... (September 2016, Chloe/Tamaki) Dry air and glimmering sun. When the heat of summer arrived, Tamaki, Chloe, Venus, and Valkyrie were given a short summer leave. The four of them were headed to a beach at an ALCA sanatorium. The moment she saw the beach, Chloe yelled in excitement. The sea shone an emerald green, and the golden sands were as smooth as powder. It was practically a private beach for the four of them alone. There was one beach hut on scene which had changing rooms. The four of them stepped into their own spaces and started to change into their swimsuits. The first of them to change was Chloe, jumping out spiritedly in a white and aqua-lined bikini. Next up was Venus, also in a bikini. "Wow! Venus, looking cute!" Chloe chattered. "You think?" Venus bent into a pose, looking unexpectedly satisfied. The next one to come out was Valkyrie, also in a bikini. "Valkyrie, you're adorbs too!" Chloe continued to fuss. "...Really?" Vakyrie was somewhat bashful. Tamaki had yet to show herself. A little impatient, Chloe called out to her. "Hey Tamahime, you done yet~?" "...No." Tamaki replied in an awkward tone. "What's up?" Worried, Chloe opened the curtain to find that Tamaki was still in her clothes. "What have you been doing!? Where's your swimsuit!?" Chloe exclaimed in surprised. "I knew it was too embarrassing..." Upon arriving, Tamaki realized she was scared of putting on a swimsuit, even if it were just in front of the other three. "Besides, my swimsuit isn't really cute..." Tamaki gripped an out-of-fashion old-school swimsuit in her hands. Then Venus wrought a daring smile. "Ohoho, I thought this might happen..." Venus had secretly brought a trendy bikini for Tamaki to wear. "Argh... geez, Venus!" Tamaki was opposed to such a revealing bikini, but the others insisted that "It'll be super cute!" and "There's nobody else here, so why not!", so she had to. "Isn't this a bit too small?" Tamaki was still embarrassed after changing. "Really~? You're open! Touch!" Chloe copped a feel on Tamaki and ran out to the ocean. "Stop it already!" Tamaki chased after Chloe, her face bright red. Chloe soon jumped into the ocean with a splash. "All right, here I go!" In response, Venus and Valkyrie jumped in as well. "Tamaki, come on!" They waved. Tamaki stopped at the water's edge and looked at the other three. It feels like we could find a pirate ship and go to the ends of the ocean... she imagined and let out a chuckle. Mana and Flowers... (September 2016, Yukari/Mana) "Mmm~ feels great~!" Yukari reached the beach and stretched. On her shoulder, Quetzalcoatl let out a big and brazen yawn. "We're finally here." "What are you doing? Yukarin, all of you, hurry up!" Chloe, Tamaki, Venus, and Valkyrie had arrived and changed ahead of them and were already frolicking on the shore. "Okay!" Yukari answered. "Senpai, let's go!" she turned around and called out to Mana and Artemis behind her, only to find that they had already set up a beach parasol and reclining chairs and were now immersing themselves in a refreshing and relaxing time. Yukari rushed up to them. "What, you aren't going to play with everyone!?" "Yes. This fits my personality better..." Artemis was the goddess of the moon, thus this probably was more in character for her than being in the sunlight. But Yukari couldn't accept Mana staying with. "Mana-senpai, let's play with everyone! We've come all the way to the ocean!" "...I'm good." Of course, Mana wouldn't consent so easily when she disliked group fun. Even so, Yukari wouldn't give up. "Then shall we go for a walk? It's a waste to just lay about! We're at the beach!" "Why not? Try going." At Artemis' urging, Mana finally stirred. Thus Yukari and Mana began to walk down the shoreline. Before long, the two of them witnessed a surprising sight. They had found a garden of colorful hibiscus. "Incredible... they're so pretty...!" Yukari remarked. "I know!" Yukari began to pick and braid flowers. In no time at all, Yukari had made flower decorations and put them on Mana's hair and arms. "they're cute! Senpai, they suit you!" "...Really?" Mana muttered abashedly. "What are you doing?" Tamaki, Chloe, Venus, and Valkyrie had come. When they spotted Mana with the flower decorations, they exclaimed how cute she was and that they wanted to do it to. Thus the other four joined in on making flower decorations. Somewhere along the line as they chattered away, a natural smile formed on Mana's face. "...Coming with everyone might not have been so bad... maybe..." Yukari couldn't help but smile when she overheard Mana. Trick or Treat! (October 2016 Web Original) A story that happened one night. Tonight is Halloween. Tamaki, Chloe, Yukari, Mana, Nina, and Ashley were making preparations for the Halloween party. "The Halloween party is starting now!" "Yup~! Yukarin, your pumpkin pie is the best!" "Indeed, I'd like to make Yukari-san my wife~..." N-No, becoming Nina-chan's wife is a little..." Taking the joke seriously, Yukari's face turned red. Everyone laughed at her. The noise kept up as it got later in the night, and the party drew to a... continuation. "I want to eat more candy!" shouted Chloe as the candy began to run out. It wasn't just Chloe. The long nights of autumn made them all have a bigger appetite. Everyone wanted to keep the party going as they chowed down on candy. Then Chloe cried out in inspiration. "Today's a day to receive candy, after all, so we can just go get it!" "What!? Then we're going outside in these clothes!?" Tamaki was embarrassed because they were all in costume. Tamaki was a cute devil. Chloe was a vampire. Yukari was a Jack-O'-Lantern. Mana was a familiar cat. Nina was a witch. Ashley was a wolf girl. "Why not! Let's go trick-or-treating!" And the losers of the subsequent rock-paper-scissors tournament were... Tamaki, Mana, and Ashley, the most easily embarrased of the lot. "Hey? Let's have a rematch! Just once! Please!" "No way! You can't come back until you get candy!" Chloe forced Tamaki's group outside. But Tamaki's group didn't come back. Time kept ticking. "I wonder if they're all right. Did something happen?" Yukari asked worriedly. Chloe and Nina agreed. "...All right then. Let's go see." Chloe, Yukari, and Nina went outside. When they did, they quickly found Tamaki, Mana, and Ashley standing bashfully outside a house. "What, they're still too embarrassed~?" Chloe, Yukari, and Nina hid in the shadows, amazed. "They should just get it over with. It'd be a cinch with me and Yukarin, right?" Chloe and Yukari playfully pretended to be cute ghosts. "I will play a trick on you! I mean, I'll trick you! Rawr!" "That's it! If you don't give me candy, I'll use my deadly Snapping Bloody Attack on you! Nina forced a smile as she watched the energetic pair. "Then they could just go instead..." And then... "Um, I just thought, but wouldn't it be better to buy candy at the convenience store instead of going to other peoples' houses?" Chloe's group gasped upon hearing Ashley's remark. "Eh, but wouldn't that be cheating?" said Yukari. "Well... they're too shy to do it~. There's no helping it." Chloe remarked in defeat after seeing Tamaki and Mana at such a standstill. "...But we can't do that." Tamaki's words surprised Chloe. "It's not good to cheat. Even if it's at playing around on Halloween... All right! I've made up my mind! Let's all go!" Tamaki headed towards the house. Mana and Ashley looked at each other, then followed after Tamaki. "Tamaki-san is always such an upstanding citizen..." Nina reflected. Chloe jumped out. "Let's go get candy with them too!" Yukari and Nina smiled and nodded, following after Tamaki with Chloe. The Poor Autumn Leaves! (September 2016, Nina) On one day off, Nina Alexandrova invited Liliana for a walk in the mountains. It was the onset of autumn, and the leaves of the forest trees were starting to change colors. "It's getting to be fall..." Nina remarked at how keenly it seemed the seasons were passing and looked at Liliana. Liliana's face was twisted into a pained expression. "What's wrong?" Nina asked, confused and worried. "Nina, trance with me!" Liliana suddenly broke out of her brooding. "Trance!? What's happened?" "...I want to save them. If we don't save them soon, they'll all die." Liliana pointed to the tinged leaves. Liliana seemed to view the autumn leaves as wilting and falling friends waiting for death. "With our powers combined, I'm sure they'll be restored to green leaves!" "That's true, but..." "What are you hesitating for, Nina? The poor autumn leaves!" Liliana pressed Nina anxiously. "I can't. Because... I think the autumn leaves are beautiful. Don't you think so, Liliana?" "Eh..." Liliana looked at the color-changing trees once again. They were dyed in red and yellow, their branches waving gently at the slightest breeze... "The trees don't die when their leaves fall. When spring comes, flowers bloom, and summer brings a new growth of green leaves... They live with the seasons. I'm grateful for their lives and look forward to the beauty of each passing season..." Nina said shyly, and Liliana smiled and nodded. Nay to the Cold!!! (January 2017, Tamaki) A wintry wind was blowing since morning on that cold day. Tamaki sipped warm coffee as she looked out the window of her room. It was cold enough that she was hesitant to go out. Xiaolin came to her. "Tamaki, I wish to go on a walk, so make the outside warm," she said with a carefree smile. Tamaki nearly spit out her coffee. "Make the outside warm...??" "Indeed." "That's not... I can't change the seasons or climate." "What, you cannot...?" Xiaolin's eyes widened in surprise. Apparently she wasn't joking. "Then there is no alternative. Do something to shield me from those chilly winds." "Then I'll lend you a coat--" Tamaki attempted to take out a heavy jacket from her closet, but Xiaolin complained. "That shall not be enough! Have you no other means for warmth?" "...Then should I take a stove and point it at you while we walk through town?" Tamaki was joking, but Xiaolin took her seriously. "Oh, that shall be adequate! Kindly do!!" "No, I was..." "I shall not be able to go out in event of sortie in this cold weather! I shall not go out until it becomes warm!!!" I haven't heard her act so spoiled in a while... Tamaki was astounded at how this princess had managed to get around when she was so selfish. But more importantly, they'd be in trouble if she threw a tantrum during future sorties. Just as she was thinking of what she ought to do, she heard that voice from outside. "Just because it's cold outside doesn't mean it's all bad." "What do you mean?" "Enough of that, let's go!" Tamaki forcibly took Xiaolin outside despite protest. The two of them were now eating piping hot roasted sweet potatos in the cold park. What Tamaki had heard was the sweet potato vendor. "How is it? Aren't sweet potatoes eaten in cold weather delicious?" "Indeed they are! They are irresistible!" Tamaki was relieved that Xiaolin was satisfied. Gee whiz. Looks like that takes care of the "going out in winter" problem... However, it had turned into a new form of being spoiled -- whenever Tamaki went out from then on, Xiaolin would badger her for sweet potatoes... Write New Year's Cards Early... (February 2017, Chloe) Chloe's expression was uncharacteristically gloomy. There was a mountain of postcards on the table. "Hmmm..." Chloe held a calligraphy pen pointed at a postcard. "Ouch!..." A sharp pain had just ran through Chloe's right hand, causing her to drop the pen to the floor. Chloe had injured her hand in battle a few days ago. Tamaki was away from HQ on duty and couldn't heal it right away, so now Chloe couldn't write properly. She sighed at how things weren't going her way. Every year, she was happy to receive Tamaki's well-written, handwritten cards. This year she had met and reunited with lots of friendly logicalists and foreigners. That's why this year Chloe had planned to make handwritten cards this year. Well, new year's cards aren't in character for me, so email should be good enough... She had already written out the addresses and was going to add personal messages and cute drawings, but with her hand in its current condition, that would be difficult. Just as she was about to give up, Chloe caught glance of someone -- the giant tiger in the corner, Daiga. "I'm sorry... You were hurt because of me..." Daiga couldn't speak in adapted form, but his apologetic feeling came across through his eyes. True, had Daiga not miscalculated in the battle, Chloe might not have been hurt, but... "Oh come on! Don't mind it, Daiga!" Chloe grinned. She acted cheerful in an attempt to make Daiga feel better. Daiga suddenly approached her and dropped something on the table. It was a large red ink pad. Daiga leaned over the table and started to stamp the postcards with his pawprint one after another. Even if he couldn't write or draw in place of Chloe, he could help in this way. "Ahhhh!!! What are you doing!? ...Huh?" Chloe panicked at first, but was surprised when she looked at the finished postcards. The red pawprint stamp was pretty cute. This isn't what I had planned, but it's not bad either... Before she knew it, Chloe was smiling as she watched Daiga working his hardest. "Thanks, Daiga..." All of a sudden, Chloe handed him a postcard. Written on it in crooked letters was "Mr. Daiga". "Tehehe, I wrote it with my left hand, so it's all wobbly..." It was Chloe's new year's card to Daiga. The words "Looking forward to the next year!" were written on it in crooked letters. "...Same here." Daiga smiled and continued to press his paw stamp. Category:Blog posts